Spirit of the Mountains

"The little guy with the cute flower wreath?"

Upon hearing this voice, Linsey reached up and touched her head.

Only when he touched those delicate alpine rhododendrons did he suddenly realize what was going on.

At the same time, I also understood why the owner of that giant eye was in a neutral state.

The reason lies in the [Treant Flower Crown] on his head.

The battle with the Magma Fire Monster was so intense that he didn't have time to take the equipment off his head.

So when the explosion occurred, the ground collapsed, and he fell.

This increased affinity with nature made the giant creature living in the Underground World treat him kindly and lend a helping hand at the most critical moment, preventing him from falling to his death.

"Little one, you can't see me."

"Few humans can recognize objects in the dark."

The tremendous roar continued.

At that moment, a warm yellow light illuminated the surroundings. Linsey looked up and saw that it was emanating from a huge crystal that resembled tourmaline.

This enormous crystal was embedded in a body made of rock.

"..."

Linsey was speechless for a moment.

The enormous eye he had seen earlier was now embedded in the head of this rock-made creature.

The enormous rocks, like mountains, formed a behemoth that seemed to have emerged from the heart of the earth.

Its face is rugged and hardened by ravines and rocks.

Its body is composed of countless rocks of varying sizes, each seemingly thousands of years old. Moreover, these rocks are tightly connected, resembling an indestructible suit of armor.

"What is this...?"

Linsey had the illusion that she had suddenly stepped into some kind of monster movie.

However, he reacted quickly and immediately shouted loudly at the other party:

"Great being, thank you for rescuing me!"

"As you can see, I also fell here by accident. If you agree, I'm about to leave!"

Linsey's Beast Language wasn't very fluent, but she could still express her meaning clearly.

Upon hearing Linsey's response, the enormous rock creature shifted its position.

Boom! The rock creature's arm rested against the earthen wall beside it.

Its forelimbs are broad and thick, with each finger resembling a small mountain, and when placed here, they seem to connect heaven and earth.

From Linsey's position, you can't even see its legs.

What I did discover was a rugged mountain range on its back, covered with pebbles like nature's tattoo. As it moved, I could hear the rocks rubbing together, as if the earth's crust was vibrating.

Linsey sensed an unconquerable power emanating from this colossal creature.

At this moment, the enormous rock creature opened its mouth:

"Of course you can leave."

"However, according to the Ancient Covenant, the Elemental Realm should enjoy a long recovery period, and the awakened humans should avoid disturbing its recovery."

"The Elemental Realm?"

Upon hearing this word, Linsey immediately realized that the other person was describing Hidden Borderlands.

Uncover the World's True Face! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

A surge of courage welled up within him, and without the slightest hesitation, Linsey loudly explained what he knew, "If I have offended you, I apologize!"

"Humans only arrived in this world 120 years ago and know nothing about the Elemental Realm. We're trapped here because a powerful Dragon Beast in the neighboring world is blocking our way out!"

"..."

The enormous rock creature clearly hadn't expected Linsey to give such a response.

It pondered for a while before continuing to explain, "Tens of thousands of years ago, the kings of the Abyss Faction, in alliance with the Invaders, threatened the entire universe. The nine most powerful and intelligent species united to fight against them and ultimately defeated them."

"And the Elemental Realm is the decisive battlefield of the Second Abyss War."

"It was because of that great war that the entire world collapsed and shattered, and I merged into the remaining land to repair this world that was about to sink into the Lost Sea."

"According to the covenant signed in the past, this place should remain quiet until the Elemental Realm is restored."

Tens of thousands of years ago?

The Second Abyss War? These were terms that Linsey had never heard of or understood before.

Linsey had no intention of talking to this enormous rock creature about topics like humanity having forgotten its history.

Just as he was gathering his thoughts, the rock creature in front of him continued to ask, "If you are trapped now, what was your reason for coming here in the first place?"

Linsey immediately explained, "It's an expedition. Many powerful Awakened Ones have gathered together, wanting to rediscover the edge of the world!"

"..."

Upon hearing Linsey's answer, the rock creature suddenly fell silent.

Linsey didn't know what was wrong with the answer, but after checking the map again and finding that the neutral marker color hadn't changed, he patiently waited for the other party's reply.

Much later.

The enormous rock creature opened its mouth again.

And contrary to everything Linsey had anticipated, it actually stood up and extended its hand to Linsey, gesturing for Linsey to jump on it. "Very good, the great cause should be inherited."

"I need to continue repairing the world and cannot leave here. But little one, jump onto my hand and I will send you away."

Based on the strength displayed by the other party.

Linsey had no doubt that if she jumped onto the palm, she could immediately escape her predicament.

But two opposing forces were battling within him.

One of them shouted, "Get out of this crisis as soon as possible, inform the town, and then your top priority should be to defeat the Dragon Beast!"

The other side shouted:

"The opportunity to pursue the truth is right in front of you. Are you really going to give up the chance to understand everything and just slink away, prioritizing safety above all else?"

"..."

"Cough cough—"

At this moment, Linsey couldn't help but cough due to her injuries.

The constant pain in his body acted as a catalyst; whether it was the effect of Adrenaline or a resurgence of heroism, his courage overcame his desire for security and avoidance.

So Linsey didn't jump onto the rock creature's outstretched hand.

Instead, he sat down right in front of the other party and spoke to this enormous creature, a hundred times his size, which he could not possibly resist:

"It was truly an unexpected trip that disturbed you!"

"Let me introduce myself. I am Linsey, an awakened human."

"If you would like, I would like to learn some things from you here, some things about the past and this world!"

"..."

"Spirit of the Mountains, Sudu Bocimeng."

A sound like the rumble of a mountain rang out to Linsey's faint hearing.

The enormous rock creature retracted its palms, responding to the courageous, awakened human inquirer in this way:

"In your human language, Linsey, you can call me Sura Mo."